5 Signs Glee Is Doomed: Will Pregnancy and Rehab Lead to Cancellation?

We’re just going to give it to you straight. Glee’s futureis suddenly looking very, very uncertain. The show has not yet been renewed for Season 5, and it’s beginning to look like it might not be at all.

Had you asked us just a week ago, we would have scoffed at this idea. Sure, FOX has renewed almost all its shows except for Glee. But they still have plenty of time to make that renewal decision. And though the show has suffered in ratings this season, it’s certainly not flat-lining. Complete cancellation would have come as a shock to anybody.

Then this week happened. And everything changed.

1. Cory Monteith in Rehab

On Sunday night, news broke that Cory Monteith (Finn), who is arguably the male lead of the show, had checked into rehab for substance abuse. To be clear: He has not been fired from the show. "Cory is a beloved member of the Glee family and we fully support his decision to seek treatment," 20th Century Fox TV told The Hollywood Reporter. "Everyone at the show wishes him well and looks forward to his return."

Still, with network executives currently debating the fate of the show, news that Cory’s in treatment didn’t exactly come at the best time.

2. Heather Morris Pregnant

That’s not the only potentially game-changing Glee news. Just days later — Wednesday, April 3 — Us Weekly reported that Heather Morris (Brittany) is pregnant. Now, neither Heather herself nor any Glee cast or crew member has confirmed the news, but the cheery Cheerio is rumored to be three months along.

If Glee was renewed, Season 5 would start shooting in July. At that point, Heather would be in the last three months of her pregnancy. It would take a lot more than a couple of camera tricks to disguise her baby bump.

3. Other Cast Members Likely to Leave

Even if the show hasn’t been cancelled, a number of other actors seem to be moving on. Vanessa Lengies (Sugar) stars in a TV pilot that just got picked up by ABC, and Jane Lynch (Sue) has a number of other non-Glee projects coming up. In addition to a Broadway show this spring and summer, she’s hosting a reality show this summer and will star in an animated FOX show this fall

4. Ryan Murphy Moving On?

Even show creator Ryan Murphy seems to be looking for a backup plan. Ryan, who is already executive producer on two other TV shows, started developing two new series back in October. Then, on Thursday, news broke that he’s shopping another show: a “provocative exploration of human sexuality” that would likely be headed for a grittier premium cable channel.

5. Nobody’s Falling in Love With the Newbies

Even if the the show does continue, ratings have still been decreasing this season. None of us have really fallen in love with the new characters — ask any Glee fan. We tried to like Jake (Jacob Artist) and Marley (Melissa Benoist). We really did.

We know we’re supposed to want to root for them, but something just got lost in translation. Fans just haven’t latched on to Jarley as a couple. Whatever the spark that made us fall in love with duos like Finchel, Brittana, and Klaine, Jake and Marley don’t have it.

Ryder (Blake Jenner) is cute enough, but this Catfish storyline is really the only time he’s been featured lately. Kitty (Becca Tobin) is snarky and mean, but she’s just not as love-to-hateable as Santana (Naya Rivera) and Quinn (Dianna Agron) were.

So where does this all leave us? Well, Cory could very easily return to the show after rehab. Heather might leave — either for a few episodes or for good — but despite Brittany’s cult fan following, she’s still not a main character. And Glee may even ditch the newbies for good, focusing Season 5 solely in NYC.

Glee’s cancellation is not a sure thing. There’s still hope it might be renewed for Season 5. That said, the show has a number of things stacked against it... the two biggest of which just happened one after another, and all in the last week.

Can Glee survive these recent pregnancy and rehab reveals, or will the culmination of all these factors doom the series for good? We’re trying to remain hopeful, but the prognosis is beginning to look mighty grim.